An advanced capacity building programme for Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) of Directorate of Soil Conservation & Watershed Development, Govt. of Odisha was successfully concluded on 1st October, 2016 under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) in ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management (ICAR-IIWM), Bhubaneswar. Hon'ble Secretary DARE & DG ICAR, Dr Trilochan Mohapatra as Chief Guest, graced the valedictory function of the training programme. He addressed the gathering and praised the leadership role of ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneswar for developing model district irrigation plan (DIP) under PMKSY. He urged the trainees to actively participate in disseminating the advanced technologies on soil and water conservation in different watershed programme. At the end he distributed certificates to participant trainees.
A four-day training programme was organized during 28th September-1st October, 2016 and aimed at water management strategies in watersheds for enhancing in irrigated area and crop water use efficiency. Apart from resource person from ICAR-IIWM, talks were invited from ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil & Water Conservation ICAR-IISWC, Dehradun; ICAR-Central Horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-CHES), Bhubaneswar; OUAT, Bhubaneswar; Directorate of Soil Conservation & Watershed Development, Govt. of Odisha and Odisha Space Application Center (ORSAC), Bhubaneswar. Course content covered from basic surface hydrology to advance application of integrated watershed management with specific reference to PMKSY; hydrologic, hydraulic design of various water harvesting structures; design of micro-irrigation system; Remote sensing aided watershed mapping and characterization; Horticultural and aquacultural interventions; and economic evaluation of watershed management programmes. A field visit to Biswanahakani watershed, Cuttack, a saturated model watershed, was arranged for field exposure of the PIAs. The four-day programme was attended by 20 PIAs from 9 districts of Odisha namely; Angul, Bargarh, Boudh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Balasore, Cuttack, Gajapati, Kandhamal, which was coordinated by Dr. R. R. Sethi, Senior Scientist of the Institute.